Ex-OpenAI leader launches Warp Sciences to robotize drug discovery labs
Kevin Weil, former head of science at OpenAI, has founded Warp Sciences, an AI startup that uses robots to automate wet-lab work for drug development, raising $215 million.
Former OpenAI science chief Kevin Weil announced the creation of Warp Sciences, a venture that trains robots to carry out wet-lab procedures for drug discovery. By automating the synthesis and testing of candidate compounds, the startup seeks to speed up the development pipeline and keep operations running around the clock. Warp Sciences raised $215 million, valuing the company at $865 million, in a round led by Lightspeed and joined by IVP, Premji Invest and Lux Capital.
The firm plans to bring back to domestic facilities work that biotech firms have long outsourced to Chinese service providers like WuXi AppTec, thereby insulating the process from geopolitical disruptions. Human chemists will wear camera-equipped sensor gloves to teach the robots diverse lab functions. If successful, the technology could transform how pharmaceutical research is conducted by reducing labor intensity and dependence on external suppliers.
Why it matters
Automating lab work could accelerate drug discovery and lessen reliance on overseas manufacturing.
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